Social Security disability benefits provide injured or ill Californians with the income they need to live their lives in the wake of debilitating accidents. These benefits are only available to individuals who qualify for them. The requirements to qualify for Social Security disability benefits include working for an entity covered by Social Security and incurring an injury or illness that meets the definition of a qualifying event by the Social Security Administration.
Once a person begins to receive Social Security disability benefits he may be eligible to receive them for a long period of time. Based on their ages or the durations of their medical conditions, some people may find that they are receiving disability benefits after they have reached the age when they can qualify for and receive Social Security retirement benefits. Depending upon when a person was born, his retirement age for the purposes of receiving Social Security retirement benefits ranges between 65-years-old and 67-years-old.
If a person is receiving Social Security disability benefits at the time he reaches retirement age, his disability benefits will be converted into Social Security retirement benefits. He will not see his benefits amount reduced when this conversion occurs. He cannot, however, contemporaneously collect benefits from both Social Security disability and Social Security retirement.
The requirements for collecting benefits from Social Security’s disability are detailed, and individuals who desire to apply for such financial support may wish to enlist the help of professionals who understand the differences between Social Security disability benefits and Social Security retirement benefits. Attorneys who work in the Social Security disability field may be able to help individuals who cannot work because they have a disabling medical condition apply for the benefits they need to financially support their lives.